Trousers type garment with seat and ground engaging support



R. N. DOLAN June 24, 1969 TROUSERS TYPE GARMENT WITH SEAT AND GROUND ENGAGING SUPPORT Sheet Filed March 8, 1968 uvvmro n ROBERT N. DOLA/V 4'4TTORNEYS R. N. DOLAN June 24, 1969 4 TROUSERS TYPE GARMENT WITH SEAT AND GROUND ENGAGING SUPPORT- sheet Z or4 Filed March 8, 1968 uvvmron ROBERT N. DOLAN BM TORNEYS Fla/3 June 24, 1969 R. N. DOLAN 3,451,064

vTROUSERS TYPE GARMENT WITH SEAT AND GROUND ENGAGING SUPPORT Filed March-8, 1968 Sheet 3 of 4 INVENTOR ROBERT M DOLAN June24, 1969 R. N. D OLAN 3,451,064

TROUSERS TYPE GARMENT WITH SEAT AND GROUND ENGAGING SUPPORT Filed March 8, 1968 4 0f 4 ROBERT M DQLAN' United States Patent US. Cl. 2-227 36 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A garment of the trousers type has fabricated in the seat portion a transversely extending pocket that removably receives therein a seat member. Each of the legs of the trousers has along the length of the leg and preferably on the inside back portion a pocket that extends from the bottom of the trousers leg where it is open to adjacent the pocket in the seat where it is open. A support rod is received in each pocket in the trousers legs and is pivotally connected to the bottom of the transversely extending seat member. The wearer of the garment on bending his knees slightly forward causes the lower ends of the support rods to engage the ground or fioor and the wearer applies his weight on the seat member which weight is transferred through the support rods to the ground.

It is an object of this invention to provide a garment having a trousers portion with removable supports that permit the wearer while in a general standing position to transfer his weight to the supports that are brought to bear on the ground or surface therebelow. The legs of the trousers may have pockets which receive support rods that pivotally connect with a seat member received in a pocket provided in the seat portion of the pants. When the wearer of such a garment with the supports stands, the lower ends of support rods are spaced from the ground and the wearer may walk. Knee joints that have both telescopic and pivotal movement may be provided in the support rods. The supports may be removed from the garment and installed in other garments provided with pockets or the equivalent to receive the support parts.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is had to the drawings, the description and the claims which follow. In the drawings;

FIG. 1 is a rear view of trousers on a wearer standing up and showing elongated pockets throughout the length in the back of the legs of the trousers, a rod in each pocket, a transversely extending seat pocket in the seat portion, and a seat member in the seat pocket connected by a pivotal connection to the tops of each of the rods in the pants legs;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the trousers showing the leg of the wearer therein in broken lines;

FIG. 3 is a side view similar to FIG. 2 but with the knee slightly bent forward and the wearer sitting on the seat transferring his weight through the rods to the ground or floor;

FIG. 4 is a view of the seat member and its pivotal connection to the tops of the support rods with quick detachable couplings;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the seat and the pivotal connection to the top of the rod along line 55 of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a fragmentary portion of a seat member having a ring portion attached by a hook portion to the top of a support rod;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a bottom end of a support 3,451,064 Patented June 24, 1969 rod that is tubular having a cap carrying a rubber cushion button received thereon;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing the rod that is tubular having an integral apertured end with a rubber cushion button received in the aperture;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 5 showing the pivotal connection as a ball and socket and the quick detachable coupling in section;

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view of an end portion of a seat member having a cylindrical socket opening downwardly and received therein a cylindrical pivotal member on the top end of a support rod;

FIG. 11 is a side view of the assembly in FIG. 10 along line 11-41 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an end view of a seat member with an open end lea-ding to a spherical socket portion with oppositely disposed inwardly extending parallel flanges along the bottom of the seat at its open end and a ball attached to the upper end of a rod and having oppositely disposed parallel slots extending in from the surface thereof and received by said flanges aligned therewith in the broken line showing and pivoted to vertical position in the full line showing;

FIG. 13 is a view of FIG. 12 looking in the general direction of line 13-13 showing the pivotal positions of the pivotal joint;

FIG. 14 is a view generally along line 1414 of FIG. 12 showing the open end in the seat, its oppositely dinposed parallel flanges and the ball of the joint nested in the socket at the end of the recess in the seat;

FIG. 15 is a foot and partial leg of the wearer and the lower end of the pants leg showing a support rod received in the rear of the pants leg and held by a spacer to the rear of the leg of the wearer above his shoe;

FIG. 16 is a plan view of a part of the cuff of the trousers having mounted therein the spacer resting at its rear against the rod and at its front web portion against the ankle and leg portion of the wearer;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the spacer member shown in FIGS. 15 and 16;

FIG. 18 is a side elevation similar to FIG. 2 having a knee joint in the rods and with the lower portion of the left leg bent backward;

FIG. 19 is a view similar to FIG. 18 as viewed from the reverse side and with the lower portion of the right leg raised;

FIG. 19a is a view of the pants leg along line 19a 19a of FIG. 19 showing the trousers leg fabricated with a pleat along the area of the inside seam;

FIG. 20 is a side elevational of a knee joint in the rod which is both telescopic and pivotal, it being shown in its extended telescoped position ready for pivotal movement and pivoted to broken line position;

FIG. 21 is a view of FIG. 20 at its left side showing the slot in the ball and the attached top end of the lower portion of rod and the slot guide screw in the lower tubular end of the upper portion of the rod;

FIG. 22 is a view similar to FIG. 20 with the rod portions telescoped to inward rigid position of the joint, the ball having been received in the lower tubular end of the upper portion of the rod;

FIG. 23 is a side elevation of a modified form of support rods received in pockets at the outside seam of the trousers legs;

FIG. 24 is a rear elevation on a reduced scale of the showing in FIG. 23; and

FIG. 25 is a rear view of a further modification of the rod supports received in pockets at the inside seam of the legs of the trousers.

Throughout the description like reference numbers refer to similar parts.

A pair of trousers is generally indicated at 10. The

garment may have an upper body portion with a trousers portion as coveralls. The trousers have a seat portion 11 and legs 12 with cuffs 12a. In the legs at their rear therein is sewn or otherwise attached along the inside a piece of elongated fabric that is looped to make a pocket 13 that is open at the bottom and top ends. At the upper ends of the pockets 13 there is sewn or otherwise att-ached on the inside of the seat portion fabric to make a transversely extending pocket 14 which may have a suitable flap or flaps as may be desired. A support rod 15 which may be tubular is received in each pocket 13 in the legs. The rod 15 is pivotally connected at its upper end as by pivot means generally shown at 16 to a seat member 17 received in the transverse pocket 14 in the seat. The lower end of the support rod 15 is tipped with a cushion tip 18. This tip may be a cap 19 as shown in FIG. 7 having a rubber button 20 in its bottom. The leg 15 as shown in FIG. 8 may be inturned at its lower end leaving an aperture to receive a rubber button 20.

In FIG. 3 the wearer has bent his knees slightly forward and is sitting on the seat 17 and his weight is transferred through the pivotally attached rods 15 to the ground G. In FIGS. 1 and 2 the weight is off the seat and the rods ride in their pockets pivotally attached to the seat and in spaced relation above the ground or floor G.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 there is shown the seat member 17 that has a channel member 21 of light metal such as aluminum alloy or other suitable light metal alloy. The channel member 21 opens downwardly and adjacent each end has attached socket portions 22 opening downwardly. Received in the socket 22, see FIG. 9, is a ball 23 that has a short depending shaft 23a. The upper end of the rod 15 has a collar 24 that connects with the stub shaft 23a by a quick connector generally indicated at 25. The connector 25 is received in a transverse aperture 23b in shaft 23a and has round ended pins 25a-25a received therein that are spring pressed outwardly by a coil spring 25b into arcuate recesses 24a in collar 24. The rod 15 can be snapped into connection with the shaft 23. The channel member 21 has a resilient cushion 26 such as sponge rubber adhered to its upper surface.

In FIG. 6 a seat member 27 has depending ring portions 27a at each end which pivotally receive a hook 28 on the upper end of rod 15.

A modified form of pivotal connection for rod and seat is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. In this form a seat is indicated as having a channel member 29 that has at the end a depending flange 29a extending fore and aft. Spaced in from this extending flnage 29a is a second and parallel flange 29b. The channel member 29 is formed with a partial cylindrical surface 29d between the parallel flanges 29a and 29b and with them forms a partial cylindrical socket 30 that opens at its bottom. Received in the socket 30 is a cylindrical member 31 that is held in the socket 30 by the edges 292 of the channel 29 extending in below the center line through the cylindrical member 31. That is to say that the distance between the edges 29e is less than the diameter, showing in FIG. 11, of the cylindrical member 31. To one side of the cylindrical member is secured a stub shaft 32 that oins with a portion 33a the shape of a frustrum of a cone on the top end of a rod 33.

In FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 there is illustrated a further modified form of a pivotal connection between seat member and rod. A seat member is generally shown at 34. The seat 34 has a channel member 35 that has skirt portions 35a-35a at the front and back at each end and inwardly extending oppositely disposed flanges 35b35b at the bottom of the skirt portions 35a35a. An inside skirt portion 350, see FIG. 13 joins with the skirt portion 35a35a to form a recess 36 that is partially spherically shaped at its inner end at 36a, see FIG.

13, to receive a ball 37 that is formed with oppositely disposed and parallel slots 37a extending in from its surface. These slots are received by the flanges 35b35b. Attached to the ball 37 to one side is a stub shaft 38 that is further attached to an upper end of a rod 39. In FIG. 12 the broken lines show the position of the rod 39 and its ball 37 pivoted to the right so that the balls slots 37a37a may be received by the spaced flanges 35b35b. The ball is slid in the recess 36 to its inner end and then the rod 39 and its ball 37 is rotated to straight line positions in FIG. 12. The ball 37 is held in by the arcuate portions 35b on the flanges 35b, see FIG. 14.

Reference to FIGS. 15, 16 and 17 shows a barrier or spacer member generally indicated at 45 which is positioned at the cuff portion of the trousers to hold the support rod 15 spaced back from the adjacent leg and ankle portion of the wearer. The barrier 45 may be made of wire bent into a general U-shape having legs 46-46 and a bight portion 47 joining the legs. The bight portion 47 is bent inward in an arcuate manner to engage the support rod 15. The legs 4646 have bent up ends 46a46a which support therebetween a flexible fabric piece 48 that abuts the adjacent rear portion of the leg and ankle of the wearer. The barrier member 45 may be attached to the inside of the cuff portion of the trousers leg. Also the inherent spring action of the U-shaped wire may be used to hold the barrier member in frictional engagement with the inside of the cuff.

In FIGS. 18 and 19 there is shown the introduction of a knee joint 50 in the support rods. The knee joint is shown in more detail in FIGS. 20, 21 and 22 with pivotal and telescopic features which will be described later. The support rods 15 have an upper portion 15a and lower portion 15b jointed by the knee joint 50. The trousers legs 12 shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 are made with a pleat 12b at the inside seam, see FIG. 19a, so that there is plenty of fullness and no binding will occur as the wearer walks and bends his knees. The pleat 12b is formed by looping the material as best shown in FIG. 19a.

FIGS. 20, 21 and 22 illustrate in more detail the knee joint 50. The upper portions 15a of the support rod 15 is tubular at its lower end. The upper portion 15a may be tubular throughout its length. This tubular portion of rod portion 15a receives a ball 51 and it is held in 15a by a bent over annular lip 52 in the lower end of 15a. The ball 51 has a slot 51a formed in a quadrant of its surface. A screw 53 is threadedly received in a suitable threaded aperture formed in the wall at the lower end of support 15a and this screw extends as a guide into slot 51a in the ball. The ball 51 has secured thereto at one side of its center line, as shown in FIG. 20, a stub shaft or rod 54. This stub shaft has a slot 54a cut therein in alignment with slot 51a in the ball so that it also will be guided by the guide screw 53. Attached to the lower end of stub shaft 54 is a reduced in cross section upper end portion of the lower rod portion 1512. This reduced in cross section upper end portion 150 joints with rod portion 15b in a transverse shoulder 15d. The reduced portion 15c also has a slot 150 that is in alignment with the slot 54a and is also guided by the guide screw 53 when the rod portions 15a and 1512 are telescoped together as shown in FIG. 22 or extended as illustrated in FIGS. 20 and 21. The sides of the portion 15c as shown in FIG. 21 taper together toward their upper ends so that portion 150 is the size of the stub shaft 54 to which it is attached. Each of the support rods have joints adjacent the knee portions of the legs which have both a telescopic and pivotal action. The rod is held rigid when weight is applied wherein the telescopic parts of the joint telescope together in a rigid manner. When the weight is removed from the support rods, the telescopic parts at the joint separate and bring into play a pivotal relationship of the lower portion of the rod with the upper portion of the rod when the wearer of the garment with its supports walks. The pivotal joint of each rod with the seat and the knee joints in the support rods may be limited to pivotal movement in the general fore and aft direction.

In FIG. the joint 50 is shown extended telescopically and in the broken line position pivoted in a single plane since the guide screw 53 and the slot 51a in the ball restrict the pivoting to the single plane. However, in FIG. 21 which is a side elevation view of FIG. 20 at its left, the pivoting takes place about the guide screw which lies on the center line of the ball. This pivoting in FIG. 21 is in a plane transverse to the pivot plane in FIG. 20.

In FIG. 22 the parts are telescoped together and the lower end of 15a rides on the shoulder 15d of the lower rod portion 15b. This telescoped together position in FIG. 22 occurs when the weight of the wearer is placed on the seat member 17 and the rods lower end is moved down into engagement with the ground G.

A modified form of support rod is shown in FIG. 23. Here the support rod designated 55 in general has mid portions 55a and 55b joined together by the knee joint 50. These mid portions 55a and 55b and the knee joint 50 are received in a pocket along an outside seam of the trousers leg shown in broken lines. The lower end of rod portion 55b is connected by a transverse portion 550 to a vertical rod portion 55d. The upper end of mid portion 55a is connected to a transverse upper end portion 551; which is turned upward at its end 55d and pivotally connects with the seat member 17.

In FIG. 24 there is shown a further modification that the support rods designated 57 may take in being located at the outside seams of the trousers.

FIG. 25 shows a further modification wherein the support rods may be located at the inside seams of the trousers legs.

The pockets in the legs and seat to receive the support rods and seat member could be located on the inside or on the outside of the trousers. The pockets might be in the forms of loops and guides.

There is provided through this garment having trousers legs and seat portions which are equipped to detachably receive also here provided support members a very useful arrangement for a wearer to rest while in a sitting but yet near standing position.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination a garment including trousers having a pair of legs joining with waist and seat portions therein, each of the legs having on the inside thereof means for receiving an elongated rod extending from adjacent the bottom of the leg to adjacent the seat portion, said seat portion having a transversely extending pocket means therein for receiving a seat member and whose ends are adjacent said rod receiving means in the legs, an elongated rod in each of said rod receiving means in the legs and a seat member in said transversely extending pocket means, means on the seat member and the upper ends of each rod for connecting each rod to the seat member for pivoted movement, whereby when the wearer of the garment walks, said elongated rods move with the legs and when the wearer from a standing position bends his knees forward, the wearer tends to sit on said seat member and transfer his weight or a good portion thereof through said seat member to said elongated rods whose lower ends then rest on the ground.

2. A garment combination according to claim 1, wherein each of said elongated rods is divided in an upper portion and a lower portion and has a knee joint means therebetween joining the lower portion with the upper portion of the rod adjacent the knee portion of the trousers legs, said knee joint means having selectively slidable means in the elongated direction of the rod and pivotal means, said slidable means sliding freely to a downward extending position when the wearer stands, said pivotal means being operable when said lower portion of the rod slides downward with respect to the upper portion when the wearer stands or walks, said pivotal means being inoperative when said lower end upper portions of the rod are slid towards one another whereby the rod becomes rigid as when the wearer transfers his weight to the seat member.

3. A garment combination according to claim 1, wherein the means pivotally connecting the upper end of each rod and the seat member includes quick connect and disconnect means whereby the rods may be disconnected and removed from the legs of the trousers and the seat may be removed from the seat portion of the trousers.

4. A garment combination according to claim 1, wherein the means pivotally connecting the upper end of each rod and the seat member includes a socket and a rotary member received in said socket.

5. A garment combination according to claim 4, wherein said socket is in the seat member, said rotary member is received therein and has a short rod portion rigidly secured thereto and depending below said seat member, and quick connect and disconnect means connecting the lower end of said short rod portion with the top end of said elongated rod.

6. A garment combination according to claim 1, wherein said means pivotally connecting the seat member to the upper end of each rod member limits the pivotal movement to a generally fore and aft direction in the direction of movement of the legs of the wearer.

7. A garment combination according to claim 1, wherein the means pivotally connecting the upper end of each rod and the seat member is a hook on the upper end of the rod member and a ring portion on the seat member detachably receiving said book.

8. A garment combination according to claim 1, wherein the means pivotally connecting the upper end of each rod and the seat member includes said seat member having a partial cylindrical recess extending therein with an open portion facing downward, said cylindrical recess having its axis extending parallel to the direction of the seat member, each rod having at its upper end a cylindrical portion received in said recess in the seat for pivotal movement of the rod in a restricted fore and aft direction.

9. A garment combination according to claim 8, wherein the seat member has therein adjacent said recesses therein means for securing the cylindrical ends of each rod in the recess for its pivotal movement.

10. A garment combination according to claim 1, wherein the means pivotally connecting the upper end of each rod and the seat member includes a recess in said seat member at each end communicating with a spherical socket portion at the inward end of the recess, a pair of oppositely extending flanges on said seat member extending into said recess from the outer end of the seat to the spherical socket portion therein, a spherical member attached to the upper end of each rod, said spherical member having a pair of diametrically disposed parallel slots extending in from the surface thereof in a position to that when the rod with the spherical member thereon is rotated well out of the vertical direction, the spherical member is slidably received in said recess in the end of the seat, said oppositely disposed flanges in the seat slidably receiving the spherical member at the slots therein, said rod and spherical member thereon being rotated to a generally vertical attitude when said spherical member is seated in said spherical socket portion whereby the spherical member on its rod is confined in said spherical recess portion for pivotal movement below the seat member.

11. A garment combination according to claim 1, wherein each of said elongated rods comprises separate upper and lower portions, the lower end of the upper portion and the upper end of the lower portion being located at the knee portion of the legs of the trousers, the rod upper portion has at its lower end a recess extending upwardly therein forming a socket, the rod lower portion has at its upper end a pivotal member slidably and pivot ally received in the recessed socket of the rod, a portion of reduced cross sectional area attaching the upper end of said lower rod portion to said pivoted member, said reduced portion being slidably received in said recessed socket in the lower end of the rod upper portion, and means securing said pivotal member in said recessed socket thereby providing a knee joint means.

12. A garment combination according to claim 11, including means in said knee joint means restricting the pivotal movement in the joint to a generally fore and aft direction.

13. A garment combination according to claim 11, wherein said pivot means connecting seat member to each said rods comprises a cylindrical pivot member on said upper rod portion with its axis extending generally parallel to the elongated direction of said seat member, and said seat member having a recessed socket in the lower surface of each end thereof and having parallel spaced apart walls receiving said cylindrical pivot member restricting the pivotal movement in a generally fore and aft direction about the axis of the cylindrical pivotal member.

14. A garment combination according to claim 11, wherein the pivotal member is spherical.

15. A garment combination according to claim 14, wherein said spherical pivotal member has a slot in the surface thereof lying in a plane extending in the fore and aft direction transverse to the elongated seat member, said reduced in cross sectional area portion of the lower member having a slot therein communicating with the slot in the spherical pivotal member and lying in the same plane therewith, and guide means mounted in said lower end of the upper portion of the rod member at said recessed socket entrance and extending into said slots whereby the lower portion of the rod member is held at all times for movement in said plane containing the slots.

16. A garment combination according to claim 1, wherein the means of each of said legs of the trousers portion for receiving an elongated rod is in the rear central portion.

17. A garment combination according to claim 1, wherein said means for receiving an elongated rod is on the outside of the leg of the trousers.

18. A garment combination according to claim 1, wherein the means for receiving an elongated rod is along the outside seam of trousers legs and each of said rods has a mid portion received in said means for receiving the rod, a lower offset end extending downward at the rear of the trousers leg and connected to the lower end of the mid portion by a transverse rod portion, and the upper end of the rod being offset from and connected to the upper end of the mid portion of the rod by a transverse rod portion.

19. A garment combination according to claim 1 wherein the means for receiving an elongated rod is along the inside seam of the trousers legs and said seat member has said rods pivotally connected thereto at positions spaced in from the ends of the seat member.

20. A garment combination according to claim 1, including spacer means at said rear portion of the lower end of said trousers legs holding the adjacent portion of said rod and trousers leg spaced to the rear of the wearer.

21. A garment combination according to claim 20, wherein said spacer means comprises a generally horizontally disposed U-shaped wire spring having a central bight portion bent to ride on the rod and the legs extending forward from the rod holding the rear sides of the lower portion of the trousers leg extending outward, the forward ends of the legs of the wire spring having bent upstanding portions and a cloth barrier suspended therebetween to ride against the rear adjacent portion of the leg of the wearer.

22. In combination, an attachment and a trousers type garment having means in the legs and the seat portion for receiving the attachment, said attachment comprising in combination, a transverse seat member received in the means for attaching in the seat portion, said seat member having pivotal attachment means on its lower portion for the upper ends of support rods, a support rod received in each means for attaching in each trousers leg, the

upper end of each support rod being pivotally attached to said pivotal means on the seat member, each support rod extending generally the length of the trousers legs, whereby the wearer of the garment with the support means on standing has the lower end of each rod spaced from the ground and on bending his knees slightly forward transfers his weight to the seat member and to the ground through said support rods and said support rods swing with the legs of the wearer when he walks.

23. The combination according to claim 22, wherein each support rod has a joint means therein adjacent the knee portion of the trousers leg, said joint means including means for telescoping the lower and upper portions of the support rod together in a rigid manner when the two portions of the rod are slid towards each other as when the wearer transfers his weight through the rods to the ground, said joint means having also a pivotal connection between the rod portions that is pivotally actuatable when the rod portions are telescoped outward from each other whereby the lower portion of each rod pivots at the knee joint as the wearer walks.

24. The combination according to claim 22, wherein said pivotal attachment means on the seat member comprise, a socket in the seat member, a pivotal member received in said socket, said pivotal member having a relatively short depending rod portion attached thereto, said depending rod portion and the upper end of the support rod having cooperating quick attachment and detachment means.

25. The combination according to claim 22, wherein said pivotal attachment means in the seat member comprise a ring portion and wherein the upper end of each rod has a hook portion thereon received in said ring portion on the seat.

26. The combination according to claim 22 wherein said pivotal attachment means on the transverse seat member is limited to pivotal movement generally transverse go the elongated direction of said transverse seat mem- 27. The combination according to claim 22, wherein said pivotal attachment means connecting the upper end of each rod and the seat member includes said seat member having a partial cylindrical recess extending therein with an open portion facing downward, said cylindrical recess having its axis extending parallel to the direction of the seat member, each rod having at its upper end a cylindrical portion received in said recess in the seat for pivotal movement of the rod in a restricted fore and aft direction.

28. The combination according to claim 27 wherein the seat member has therein adjacent said recesses means for securing the cylindrical end of each rod in the recess for its pivotal movement.

29. The combination according to claim 22, wherein the means pivotally connecting the upper end of each rod and the seat member includes a recess in said seat member at each end communicating with a spherical socket portion at the inward end of the recess, a pair of oppositely extending flanges on said seat member extending into said recess from the outer end of the seat to the spherical socket portion therein, a spherical member attached to the upper end of each rod, said spherical member having a pair of diametrically disposed parallel slots extending in from the surface thereof in a position so that when the rod with the spherical member thereon is rotated well out of the vertical direction, the spherical member is slidably received in said recess in the end of the seat, said oppositely disposed flanges in the seat slidably receiving the spherical member at the slots therein, said rod and spherical member thereon being rotated to a generally vertical attitude when said spherical member is seated in said spherical socket portion whereby the spherical member on its rod is confined in said spherical recess portion for pivotal movement below the seat member.

30. In combination according to claim 22, wherein each of said elongated rods comprises separate upper and lower portions, the lower end of the upper portion and the upper end of the lower portion being located at the knee portion of the legs of the trousers, the rod upper portion has at its lower end a recess extending upwardly therein forming a socket, the rod lower portion has at its upper end a pivotal member slidably and pivotally received in the recessed socket of the rod, a portion of reduced cross sectional area attaching the upper end of said lower rod portion to said pivoted member, said re-- duced portion being slidably received in said recessed socket in the lower end of the rod upper portion, and means securing said pivotal member in said recessed socket thereby providing a knee joint means.

31 The combination according to claim 30, including means in said knee joint means restricting the pivotal movement in the joint to a generally fore and aft direc tion.

32. In combination according to claim 30, wherein said pivot means connecting seat member to each said rods comprises a cylindrical pivot member on said upper rod portion with its axis extending generally parallel to the elongated direction of said seat member, and said seat member having a recessed socket in the lower surface of each end thereof and having parallel spaced apart walls receiving said cylindrical pivot member restricting the pivotal movement in a generally fore and aft direction about the axis of the cylindrical pivotal member.

33. The combination according to claim 30, wherein the pivotal member is spherical.

34. The combination according to claim 33, wherein said spherical pivotal member has a slot in the surface thereof lying in a plane extending in the fore and aft direction transverse to the elongated seat member, said reduced in cross sectional area portion of the lower member having a slot therein communicating with the slot in the spherical pivotal member and lying in the same plane therewith, and guide means mounted in said lower end of the upper portion of the rod member at said recessed socket entrance and extending into said slots whereby the lower portion of the rod member is held at all times for movement in said plane containing the slots.

35. The combination according to claim 22, wherein each of said rods extends at the rear of the trousers leg.

36. The combination according to claim 22, each of said rods has a mid portion having said joint means therein that extends along the outside seam of the trousers leg, the lower end of the rod being oifset and extending downward at the rear of the trousers leg and connected to the lower end of the mid portion by a transverse rod portion, and the upper end of the rod being offset from and connected to the upper end of the mid portion of the rod by a transverse rod portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 671,638 4/1901 Slagle 2974 768,478 8/1904 Nash 2974 1,574,529 2/1926 Abraham 2974 XR 2,827,897 3/1958 Pawlowski. 3,272,210 9/1966 Boruvka 12880 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 3,989 3/ 1892 Great Britain.

H. HAMPTON HUNTER, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 2974 82$? UNITED STA'ITES PA'I'EIWI OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3.45141 4 Dated Tnno 94 Inventor(s) Robert N Dolan It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In Claim 10, column 6, line 53, cancel "to" and insert --so--.

SIGNED AND SEALED DEC 2" 1959' Meat:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

officer WILLIAM E. SOHUYLER, JR. Mg .cflmissioner of Patents 

